Armored tire.



`GEORGE '1). MOORE 'ND'RALPH L. M0RGANOF WORCESTER, 'MASSACHUSETTS ARMORED TIRE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedMay 23, :1911.

Application filed October 16, 1909. Serial No. 522,973.

To all whom 'it may concern:

:Be it known that we, GEORGE D. Moonn in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Armored Tire, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a tire for vehicles and to a method of making the same.

The principal objects of the invention areA to provide means for protecting the tirey against puncture andwear, suchmeans being of such material and construction that it can be made in the form of rigid inserts separated from each other by transverse I masses of softer rubber, so that the neces- Sary elasticity is provided, but substantially "integrally connected withl the'body of the tire so that there will be no danger of the inserts being separated from the tire in use' or of their cutting into the adjacent por-` tions of the softer rubber; to provide a simple Aand convenient method of making the same; and to provide additional metallic armor plates in connection therewith secured firmly in position by the rigid inserts or by the body of soft rubber.

Another .object of the invention is to provide an improved form of metallic armor of such construction that it eontaiima body of rubber within, integrallyfconnectedwith the rubber without, so that it is rmly anchored to' the body of the rubber.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the aocompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is avtransverse sectional view of a rubber tire constructed in accordance with this invention and showing it in a simple form. Fig. 2 is a plan of a. portion of the tire. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is .a longitudinal sectional view showing a modification. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of a tire showing another form of the invention. Fig. 6- is a planofK the same,and Figs. 7 and 8 are plans of modifications', f

` Various forms of metallic armor have beenproposed for rubbertires and they are` all open to the' .objection that itis impossible tov cure the rubber to the metal in such a wayv as to unite them by a joint even ap proximately as strong vas the adjacent portions of the rubber. Consequently,the metallic armor plates readily become loosened in use and not only tend to be detached, but they also tend to cut into the adjacent surfaces of the rubber. Moreover, by having a joint valong the edge of the armor plate, each joint is liable to become distorted byfleXure of the rubber so that the rubber adjacent to the joint often tends to separate and extend a crack directly into the body of the rubber.

This invention is made-for the purpose of providing a form of armor which, while substantially as eicient as the metal for the purpose of preventing a puncture, can be so firmly united to the body of the rubber that the above mentioned di'licultieswill not arise. For this purpose the body of the outer tube is made up mainly of soft rubber reinforced by fabric or the like, as is usually the case. The tread is made up in part of comparatively rigid plates, or inserts formed of non-metallic material which can be cured or vulcanized to the soft rubber so that the two bodies will be integrally united by means of -a joint which will beas strong as the adjacent'portions of the soft rubber. With this arrangementthere is no danger of the inserts or plates working loose in prac-V tice, and they are capable of securelyholding metallic armor plates. At `the same `.time, as these reinforcing platesare separated from each other by transverse masses of iieXible soft rubber the tread has the nec-v essary elasticity.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that' a tire or outer shoe is shown having a Vmain body 10l preferably composed of soft rubber and fabric in the usual way, Along the tread of this tire are, laced transverse plates or inserts representedl by the numeral 11 formed of a non-metallic material which canbe integrally united with the soft rubber, as for example, Ihard rubber or gutta percha compounds.

sot

. The method -of manufacture Vpreferably followed is as follows The material for formed up with spaces corresponding'to the shapeof the plates or inserts 11I along the tread thereof. A soft -rubberm'ixture with or without fabric is used forthe main'body 10. Into the above mentioned spaces are placed masses of rubber or` gutta ,percha compounds, or the like, whichpreferably is` Vthe main body 10 is placed in a mold and ros partially cured in advance. The inserts can be placed in the mold first if desired and secured in position and the body of soft rubber or soft rubber and fabric molded around serts 11 will be cured to form a hard comparatively rigid substance, preferably hard rubber. Not only this but the two bodies of material are integrally united and the joint is of great strength on account of the two bodies being vulcanized together. Consequently the joint is at least as Istrong as the adjacent portions of the body of soft rubber. By manufacturing the tire or shoe in this way, rigid protecting inserts or armor are provided at intervals along the tread having the well known properties of hard rubber and capable of resisting puncture and wear to a very high degree and yet the necessary resiliency is retained. They are so firmly united with the soft rubber that if any force is applied tending to tear them away, they can be removed in this way only by tearing the so'ft rubber itself, as it will give away before the two materials will separate.

For the purpose of facilitating the final vulcanization of the hard inserts with the. soft rubber forming the body ofy the tire, a thin shell or layer of a rubber or gutta percha compound 20 (Fig. 5) of a composition somewhat intermediate in character between that of the hard rubber and the soft body of the tire may be placed between the hard insert and the soft body. In the process of vulcanization this intermediate layer may serve to cure firmly to both the hard insert and the soft body, thus avoiding any possibility of an imperfect joint between the hard insert and the soft body of the tire.

The properties of hard rubber and gutta `percha compounds are well known and it will be obvious that in this osition they not only have great durability but they will resist all manner of punctures. However, it is preferred to apply a further rotection. This can be accomplished by adding a protecting metallic armor plate 12 to each plate 11. This plate is shown Hush on the-outside with the soft rubber portion of the tread. In this case the method of manufacture is substantially as follows: The metallic lates or members 12 are laced in the mol and the two non-metalllc materials vulcanized' together and around the projecting edges 13 of the armor plates. It is to be observed that y if the plates 12 were placed in the mold and While the orditween the two materials, but in this case the comparatively rigid body of hard rubber or i the like 11 rojects under the converging edge projections 13- and consequently se curely holds the metallic armor plate in position thereon. As the inserts 11 are securely united to the main body'lO it will be seen that the tire itself is provided with rigid .plate can be held still more firmly in position is shown in Figs. 5 and 6. In this case the armor consists of a flattened' metallic tube formed into a curved shape. Its inner portion 16 preferably is curi ed parallel with the outer plate 15and is provided with openings 17, having rounded edges. In this case as in Fig. 1, the comparatively rigid body of hard rubber projects under the converging sides of the metallic insert and consequently securely holds the same in position. It will be seen that the body of hard rubber 11 is united with the body 18 of the same material inside the tubular insert by integral masses extending through the openings 17 and by additional integral masses extending from the ends of the body 18. This integral union of the masses of rubber rigidly holds the metallic member in position in a most elficient manner and prevents any motion thereof with relation to the hard rubber body in which it is embedded.

In all cases the necessary resiliency is secured by the main body of soft rubber, the inserts or armor being substantially rigid.

VVhilef'we'have illustrated and described certain embodiments of the-invention and a particular method of carrying it out, we

` areaware that many other modlficatio'ns can be made both in the form of the article and in the method of manufacturing without departing from the scope of the invention' as expressed in theclaims. Therefore, we do not wish to be limited to all the details of construction shown or to the eXact steps of the method described but What we claim is 1. As an article of manufacture, a vehicle tire or outer shoe comprising a body com- Therefore, the inilo` posed mainly of exible soft rubber, a plurality of rigid inserts composed of hard rubber vulcanized to the soft rubber and located at intervals along the wearing surface or tread thereof, and sheet metal members eX- tending alongthe outer surfaces-of the hard rubber inserts, said sheet metal members extending at'opposite sides inwardly with respect to the tire and insert and 1n contact with the material of theA inserts, whereby they are firmly secured thereto. l

Q. As an article of manufacture, a vehicle tire or shoecomprising a body composed mainly of soft rubber and having a tread composed partly of hard rubber, and a series of metallic members mounted on the hard rubber' portions of said tread, and each comprising a member extending along the o uter surface of the hard rubber and open at oppo site sides, so that the body of rubber within the member is connected at the vends thereof with the body of rubber outside the member.

3. As an article of manufacture, a vehicle tire or outer shoe comprising a body composed mainly of flexible sof-t rubber, a plurality of rigid hard rubber inserts secured to the soft rubber by vulcanization, and located i at intervals around the tire or shoe, and metallic members, each comprising` an outside plate extending for a distance circumferentially and 4transversely along the outer surface of one of said inserts and of the tire or shoe, and having means extending inwardly outer surface flush therewith, said members each comprising a curved'iattened tube having an opening through its inner wall so that 35 lthe body of rubber within the member is integral with that outside and is connected therewith at the ends of the tube and through the openings therein.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set 40 our hands, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE n. Moons. RALPH L. Morceau.

Vitnesses: y

A. E. FAY, C. F. WEssoN. 

